Tag: Defunkt Theatre

Terrifically exciting. Fantastic cast. Killing design and direction. Thank god for defunkt. Portland’s unpredictable, uncompromising black box tears into the most exciting season in town with fascinating study of exactly what Jon wants. Boy or girl? Or both. Neither? A completely satisfying night in the hands of blindingly bright playwright.

The weekend is coming. And with it, your roster of entertainment possibilities. Which are legion.

Just about the most exciting thing on the spring calendar is finally here: Portland Playhouse takes on Anne Washburn’s MR. BURNS. You’ll travel indoors and out to three different sets for this epic. Opening night is Saturday.

Mr. Burns is back in town. And he’s taken up at Portland Playhouse.

Also jockeying for position on Saturday night is PICA’s 20th anniversary gala: TADADA!. Come for the dinner if you’re feeling flush. But whatever you do, don’t miss the after-party helmed by Pepper Pepper. It’s all happening at The Redd, Ecotrust’s new event space on SE Salmon Street.

The Redd. One of the biggest parties of the year is going to be right here in two days.

And still ANOTHER Saturday night gem is a remount of David Saffert’s Liberace pageant at Curious Comedy.

Mr. Fabulous is back. One night only at Curious Comedy.

And for your Sunday night, perhaps you’ve heard of a certain play by Richard Greenberg coming to town? No, you probably haven’t heard of it that way. But you probably have heard that two TV stars from Grimm are in a show at Portland Center Stage. Ah yes. That one. Sunday night is the first preview.

And if you’re the pro active, plan ahead type – next Monday at PCS the Improv All Stars are back.

While the booming Bridgetown Comedy Festival may be sucking up a fair amount of oxygen around Portland’s smaller scale performance scene this weekend, don’t limit yourself to non stop laughs with some of the best comics around for three days straight.

From the good folks at Entertainment for People, a new and growing format that showcases new material from top Portland talents. The show will be on the existing set for THE LION – so expect some extra glam factor.

Who will be there? On stage – these people:

The lineup Monday night at PCS. Be there – or get a story together to explain to Vin Shambry why you weren’t.

The Story A struggling white gay playwright writes a wonderful play about an African American family trying to escape inner city poverty. To increase its chances of getting produced he submits the play to a prestigious theater festival under the pseudonym of Shaleeha G’ntamobi. When it is accepted, he hires an African American actress to assume the role of his invented pen name. What follows is a searing, no holds barred exploration of racism, homophobia, sexism, affirmative action and hypocrisy in modern America. An electrifying new play from a fresh new voice in American theater, The Submission is the winner of the 2012 New York Outer Critics Award for Best New Play and a Portland Area premiere.

kaboom

Let the shit storm begin. Photo: Andrew Klaus-Vineyard.

October 11-November 16 2013
Thursdays – Sundays at 7:30 pm (no show Sunday October 13 or Thursday October 31 )
At the Back Door Theater • 4319 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR
Pay-what-you-can Thursdays & Sundays, Sliding Scale $15-$25 Fridays and Saturdays
Special post show Talk Back Event October 26 with The August Wilson Red Door Project

Interview number five. Matthew Kern has been Artistic Director of defunkt theatre since 2010. Before that he worked as an actor around town and also as a piano player. You may remember him as the house pianist for the downtown Nordstrom back when they had live music. He currently plays on the Portland Spirit, Hobo’s and at many a wedding and holiday party. A graduate of the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre in California, and Bard College in New York, he has appeared locally with Artists Repertory Theatre, Tears of Joy and several now truly defunct theatres.

Matthew Kern as Lenny in THE HOMECOMING by Harold Pinter. Photo: Andrew Klaus.